This apparatus relates to an improved pumping system. As set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,770 of the present inventor, a high pressure pump has been devised. The pump utilizes a solid, non-yielding reciprocating member and an opposing resilient plug. The plug has a dished area as set forth in that patent, and collapses on pressing the two components together. The relative squeeze forces any liquid captured in the dished area through a passage.
This apparatus has achieved some success as a sample gathering device. In the sale of chemicals flowing in a pipeline, including crude oil, the sales price is often determined by the quality of the product. To this end, a sample must be taken from the pipeline. It is fairly difficult to obtain a sample from a high pressure, high flow pipeline. Nevertheless, the apparatus constructed in accordance with the referenced patent has achieved admirable results in gathering samples.
A sample must ordinarily be separately captured in a container or bottle. It is normally unwise to comingle consecutive samples because they may very well mislead the following laboratory analysis. Moreover, it is helpful to isolate samples so that consecutive samples obtained from a sample collection apparatus may be properly tagged or labeled. For instance, one sample may be obtained from a first time period and the next sample from the same equipment may be collected over the next occurring time period. There is some chance of data distortion by leaving a portion of a collected sample in the tubing or conduit extending from the sample collection apparatus to a collection bottle. All of these problems can be overcome through the implementation of the present invention. The disclosed and claimed apparatus sets forth a sample collection system including a purge system. This contemplates the introduction of a purge gas behind a sample to separate it from the next sample. Moreover, it forces all of the volume of the sample from the lines and into the storage container. The purge gas can be introduced periodically to define consecutive samples. It can also be introduced through the system to assure that the entirety of sample material is collected in a single lot.
With the foregoing problems in view, one of the features of this apparatus is a sample purge system which can be periodically operated to clear a sample from the sample collection apparatus and to deliver the sample therefrom in a single lot or quantity. This assists in the storage and collection of the sample. Further, it does not interfere with the sample collection process, and is dormant until operated. The lack of interference enables the sample to be collected in the ordinary fashion, and also enables the downstream collection facility to clearly segregate different samples from following samples.
The purge system can be incorporated in a sampler pump having a piston reciprocating in a cylinder. The purge apparatus connected with the sampler again introduces the purge fluid behind the sample to assist in sample isolation.